Jeremiah 26 5

Jeremiah 26:5 kjv

To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

Jeremiah 26:5 nkjv

to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded),

Jeremiah 26:5 niv

and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened),

Jeremiah 26:5 esv

and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened,

Jeremiah 26:5 nlt

and if you will not listen to my servants, the prophets ? for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you would not listen to them ?

Jeremiah 26 verses

Jeremiah 26 5 Meaning

This verse signifies God's persistent plea for His people to turn from their evil ways and heed the prophets' messages. It underscores the consequence of disobedience, which is the destruction of the Temple, a symbol of God's presence and covenant with Israel. The emphasis is on the urgency and the potential for averting disaster through repentance.

Jeremiah 26 5 Context

Jeremiah chapter 26 occurs during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. It is a pivotal moment where the prophet Jeremiah is brought to trial for his bold prophecies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The elders and the people are outraged by his message, which they see as a betrayal of their national identity and faith. This chapter is set against the backdrop of political instability and looming Babylonian threat. Jeremiah's message, which is a direct repetition and amplification of an earlier prophecy (Jeremiah 7), warns that if the people do not truly reform their ways and practice justice, the Temple will be destroyed, just as Shiloh was. This specific verse encapsulates the core of that divine warning.

Jeremiah 26 5 Word Analysis

• "Thus says the LORD" (כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה - koh amar Adonai): This is a standard prophetic formula. It emphasizes that Jeremiah's message is not his own but originates directly from God.

• "If you will not listen" (אִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ - im lo tishma'u): The conditional statement. The consequence is directly tied to their act of listening (or, more profoundly, obeying). "Listen" (שָׁמַע - shama') here implies not just hearing but also understanding and acting upon the message.

• "to obey my words" (לִשְׁמֹר אֶת־דְּבָרַי - lishmor et-d'varai): "Obey" (שָׁמַר - shamar) carries the sense of guarding, keeping, or observing. It points to active compliance with God's commands and directives. "Words" (דָּבָר - davar) refers to God's spoken commandments and prophecies.

• "which I am sending to you" (אֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ אֲלֵיכֶם - asher anokhi shoLeach aleichem): This highlights God's ongoing communication through His prophets, emphasizing His direct and persistent intervention in human history.

• "my servants the prophets" (אֶת־עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִיאִים - et-avadai haNe'ivim): God refers to the prophets as His servants, underlining their role as divine messengers and His trust in them to deliver His message. It also emphasizes that these are not isolated incidents but part of a continuous prophetic ministry.

• "sending them persistently" (מִקֹּדֶם וּמִשְׁלֹחַ - mikodem uMishLoach): This phrase means "from the beginning" or "early and often." It stresses God's long-suffering and the repeated nature of His attempts to guide His people, starting from the earliest stages of their history. The repetition of the verb "send" (שָׁלַח - shalach) emphasizes the persistence.

• "even though I was not sending" (וְאָנֹכִי לֹא שָׁלַחְתִּי - ve'anokhi lo shalachti): Some interpretations suggest this might mean "even though I did not send them [in the way you imagine]" or "even though I did not send them to speak what you want to hear." A more common understanding is that it signifies God's consistent and diligent sending of prophets, implying the cumulative effect of these messages. However, some scholars view this as a textual issue or a nuance suggesting God didn't initiate their particular way of speaking if it was not according to His full intent at that precise moment of reception, but it is overwhelmingly understood as reinforcing God's diligent sending. A stronger reading emphasizes God's persistent sending throughout history, right up to this present moment.

• Group Analysis: The verse establishes a clear cause-and-effect: disobedience ("if you do not listen") leads to judgment ("then I will make this house like Shiloh"). God's persistent sending of His servants, the prophets, highlights His desire for obedience and His grace in providing opportunities for repentance before judgment falls.

Jeremiah 26 5 Bonus Section

The historical incident of the destruction of Shiloh, as mentioned in the verse, is described earlier in the books of Samuel (1 Samuel 4:1-11). When the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines, Shiloh was left vulnerable and subsequently destroyed, representing a devastating loss of God's perceived tangible presence. Jeremiah uses this calamitous event to instill a deep sense of urgency and dread. The priests and the populace in Jeremiah's time believed the Temple in Jerusalem was impregnable, a symbol of God's unwavering protection, regardless of their actions. Jeremiah's message challenged this false security. The New Testament echoes this theme of judgment for rejecting divine counsel, notably in Jesus' lament over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) and His prophecy about the Temple's destruction (Matthew 24). The principle that national prosperity and divine favor are linked to righteous living remains a consistent thread throughout biblical teaching.

Jeremiah 26 5 Commentary

Jeremiah 26:5 is a severe warning issued by God through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah. It explicitly connects the potential destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem to their refusal to heed the divine message delivered by His prophets. The destruction of Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle had been housed, is referenced as a precedent and a stark foreshadowing. God's consistent action of sending prophets, emphasizing this is not a new or sudden message, reveals His desire for His people to repent and avoid severe judgment. The imperative to "listen" and "obey" underscores that faith is demonstrated through action and adherence to God's will. This verse reflects a core theme in the Old Testament: God's covenantal relationship with Israel is conditional upon their obedience.